Death and Survivor Benefits

IMRF Death Benefits Protect Your Survivors

As an IMRF member, you are not only earning an IMRF pension—you also have important death benefits you should know about.

The amount and type of your IMRF death benefits depends upon your:

Service credit

Participation status

Marital status

To view a current estimate of your IMRF death benefits, sign into your Member Access account.

Active Member Death Benefits

You are considered actively participating in IMRF if you are:

Working in a position that qualifies for IMRF participation

Receiving IMRF disability benefits

On seasonal leave

On an IMRF Benefit Protection Leave

If your IMRF service credit is:

Your death benefits are:

Less than one year

If your death is job related, a lump sum equal to one year’s salary plus any balance in your member account Instead of the lump sum, a beneficiary annuity may be payable.

If your death is NOT job related, a lump sum equal to any balance in your member account

More than one year but less than eight years

A lump sum equal to one year's salary plus any balance in your member account.Instead of the lump sum, a beneficiary annuity may be payable.

Eight or more years(you are vested for an IMRF pension)

If you have an eligible spouse, your spouse may choose:

A monthly surviving spouse pension plus a $3,000 payment

A lump sum equal to one year's salary plus any balance in your member account.

In some cases a child's pension may also be payable, see below.

If you DO NOT have an eligible spouse, a lump sum equal to one year's salary plus any balance in your member account.Instead of the lump sum, a beneficiary annuity may be payable.

In some cases a child's pension may be payable, see below.

Surviving Spouse with Child Pension

If your spouse is eligible for a surviving spouse pension and your spouse is caring for your minor, unmarried children, your spouse will receive:

A monthly pension equal to 30% of your salary at time of death plus

10% of your salary at time of death for each minor, unmarried child

or

A monthly pension equal to 66-2/3% of the pension you had earned (minimum amount 10% of ECO salary)

The maximum total monthly benefit payable to spouse and children cannot exceed 50% of your ECO salary at time of death.

Child’s Pension

If you have eight or more years of service credit your children may be eligible for a child's pension. The following conditions must be met:

If you do not have a surviving spouse, if your spouse is not eligible, or if your eligible spouse dies, a child’s pension is payable to each minor (under age 18) unmarried child you have, equal to 20% of your ECO salary at the time of death. The maximum total monthly benefit payable to all children cannot exceed 50% of your ECO FRE or 75% of your pension.

If your child(ren) is eligible for an ECO child pension, he or she can choose benefits under the ECO plan or under the Regular plan.

A child’s pension is discontinued at age 18 or marriage, whichever is earliest. When any minor child reaches age 18 or marries, the death benefit is recalculated to what it would have been had that child not been a minor at the time of the member’s death.

When all children are age 18 or married, if there are any remaining member contributions and interest that were not paid out as pension payments, they are paid in a lump sum to your designated beneficiary.

Adopted children are treated the same as natural children if proceedings for adoption commenced one year before date of death.

Additional Information

What is the Balance in Your Member Account?

The balance in your member account is the accumulation of your member contributions, plus any interest earned on your contributions and less any benefit prepayments.

What is a benefit prepayment?

Any time a benefit is paid out of your account using estimated payments, we may initially pay out a higher payment than you or your beneficiary(ies) is entitled to. This is called a “prepayment.” IMRF is required by law to recover prepayments, typically through reductions from future benefit payments.

When is a Surviving Spouse Eligible?

For your spouse to be considered eligible for the active member death benefits listed above, the following three requirements must be met:

You were an actively participating member at the time of your death.

You must have named your spouse as your only primary beneficiary on your IMRF Designation of Beneficiary form.

The date of your marriage or civil union was at least one year prior to your death.

If your spouse is eligible for an ECO surviving spouse pension, he or she can choose benefits payable under the ECO
plan or under the Regular plan.

Surviving Spouse Pension Benefits

Regular Plan

In addition to $3,000 lump sum payment, a pension equal to 50% of the pension you earned

ECO Plan

At age 50 or older, in addition to $3,000 lump sum payment, a pension equal to 66-2/3% of the pension you had earned (minimum amount 10% of ECO salary)

The IMRF website provides a brief summary of IMRF benefits and the administration of those benefits. IMRF members' and employers' rights and obligations are governed by Article 7 of the Illinois Pension Code. Statements on the IMRF website are general, and the Illinois state law governing IMRF is complex and specific. If a conflict arises between information in the IMRF website and the law, all decisions are based on the law.